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African Birdlife Magazine - November/December 2025

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In this issue

AFRICAN PITTA • BLUE CRANE • HWANGE • PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION • TANKWA KAROO

Is NECHISAR NIGHTJAR a hybrid?

Vernon Head's award-winning book The Search for the Rarest Bird in the World brought widespread attention to the curious case of the Nechisar Nightjar. In 1992, a dead nightjar was found on a dirt road in Nechisar National Park, southern Ethiopia. A wing was collected and the bird was later described as a new species based on its distinctive large white wing patch. Its scientific name, Caprimulgus solala, attests to the fact that it is known only from a single wing.

2 mins

A ROBERTS REVOLUTION?

The recently released Roberts Birds of Southern Africa app shares its name with the long-trusted version that many of us have relied on for years. But make no mistake, this is not a simple update. It's a completely new product, built from the ground up by a new developer and offering a fresh experience under a familiar name.

3 mins

MIRRORLESS MARVEL

Testing Canon's R1 in the field

3 mins

Southern SIGHTINGS

MID-JULY TO MID-SEPTEMBER 2025

2 mins

a TALL Tail

In the high grass of eastern South Africa, midsummer is when the Long-tailed Widowbird transforms the veld into a stage.

1 mins

CHAOS AT THE KOM

Between 1 and 3 December 2024 there was a remarkable sardine run off Kommetjie on the Cape Peninsula.

1 mins

BLUE CRANE

A symbol of pride and vulnerability

6 mins

from riverbank TO SAVANNA

It's not only the waterways of the Kavango-Zambezi Transfronteir Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA) that enthral.

5 mins

PITTA PILGRIMAGE

Look there - on that branch, behind those green leaves!’ Crouching in thick forest, with sweat dripping, heart pounding and eyes straining, I frantically searched with my binoculars, trying to work out which branch, which green leaves - indeed, which darned tree? I was close to panicking as we had come so far, and yet I just couldn't see where our guide was pointing.

4 mins

Unlocking a DIGITAL WORLD of bird stories

For more than 75 years, the South African Bird Ringing Unit (SAFRING), now hosted by the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, has woven together the complex life stories of southern Africa's birds.

1 mins

FRAMING wild feathers

WINNERS OF THE BIRDLIFE SOUTH AFRICA PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION 2025

4 mins

Birding the TANKWA

The semi-desert Tankwa Karoo, tucked into the northern reaches of the Western Cape, is a treasure trove of avian life.

5 mins

A conservation milestone

Mitigating seabird bycatch in the inshore hake trawl fleet

2 mins

Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

Whatever form they take, from peatlands to estuaries, wetlands are critical for the survival of waterbirds, such as the White-winged Flufftail, Maccoa Duck and Grey Crowned Crane. They are highly productive ecosystems that are characterised by diverse and abundant food sources and they provide essential feeding, breeding, migratory and resting habitat for numerous species. iSimangaliso Wetland Park, for example, supports more than 500 bird species.

1 mins

CAREN the BLUE CRANE

Hallo people, Caren Kramer here, proud resident of the Overberg.

3 mins

Read all Stories from African Birdlife

African Birdlife Magazine Description:

Publisher: BirdLife-South-Africa

Category: Animals-and-Pets

Language: English

Frequency: Bi-Monthly

African Birdlife is a world-class bi-monthly magazine about birds and birdwatching in Africa. It includes informative articles and stunning photographs of Africa's birds. Features include: The latest news on bird conservation and behaviour; equipment reviews; photographic tips; competitions to win great prizes. It serves as an important mouthpiece for BirdLife South Africa to create awareness about bird research and conservation.